The advantage of this plan is that breakfast at Kona gets cancelled. I was only going there to see the Poly. And the cancellation saves money to recoup some of the cost of booking the After Hours event.
Yikes!
People do this??? LOL
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The second advantage is that my Festival of Fantasy dining package becomes a genuine lunch reservation. I’m actually going to start the day with lunch there, rather than just running in, grabbing the parade tickets, and running out again.
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I couldn’t agree more with everything you just said. Our family vacations to Disney have become more relaxed and enjoyable. We don’t have to see and do everything and we are just fine with that. My trip last week was with several other people who wanted to ride everything and do everything. It was exhausting. It was fun at times, but also so stressful.
Not for me. I could never give up park time to look at hotels. Yes, I would go there and eat. Yes, I will go to my own hotel and enjoy a break, like AKL. But go to other hotels just to see them instead of going to the park? No thanks. Seems like a waste of precious Disney time, maybe if I was there 3 weeks at a time, but not for our normal 8 or so days at WDW.
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I agree, I haven’t been a lot like some of you but in my first three 14 night visits I didn’t set foot in a resort. And I just can’t imagine being happy spending a whole day looking at hotels when the parks are right there calling to me.
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You asked for our inputs right? So I’m going to do this, one day at a time. It’s to give you an idea of what I would do, it’s not what I expect you to do, but maybe it’ll give you some ideas. B
But first, let me explain myself. After all, we know lots about you, so it’s only fair I should make you read all about me, errrm, (note to self: this is for @profmatt ) give you some background! 
So I’ve only actually been to WDW 5 times. Once a year after DH and I were married, no kids. Did the typical 90s UK thing of a fly-drive and tagged the Bahamas onto the end. I think we did a day in MK, a day at DHS and a day at Epcot.
Anyways, another trip offsite with the boys (about 6 and 9) and MIL. Then a stay onsite at the BC (10 days, 2010 which was when we bought into DVC. Then a couple of trips with DVC (21 days in 2012 and 13 days in 2016/17).
So we have plenty of time, I would say for the onsite stays we did 5/10, 12/21 and 9/13 days at WDW. We have had the luxury of say me spending 3 half days at MK doing the Sorcerers game with DS and a couple of rides, whilst eldest and DH did something else. DS and I did the Keys to the Kingdom tour in 2012 and the Epcot WS tour on NY 2017. We didn’t really look at other resorts until that Christmas trip, when we went to look at the decorations - a monorail loop and across to WL plus a break from Epcot to BC and YC; we stayed part of it at Kidani so we also saw AKL. Next time I want to see POR and OKW, to see what they’re like. I’ll probably go over to both for an afternoon, as I do have pool hopping privelleges to certain pools (not the really good ones though) and the pool at POR looks fun.
OK, so you get the idea. We never rush from one ride to another. We detour to go to the wishing well, we stop and watch Gaston outside the Tavern, we look at the signs in Main St, stop to watch the actors out in DHS…
So back to your plan. I see you have a half day or so at Universal and then a full day later. You want to see WWOHP. So what I would do is spend your full day doing that, and spend the first half day doing the other rides you really want to do again.
Or, working with what you have, prioritise Hogsmeade on that first day. Go straight there, start by looking in the shops, go and watch a kid get a wand - it’s a lot of fun to do. (Now you can do that in Diagonal Alley, but it’s worth checking the length of the line both days). Go into the other shops. Ride the rides, but take in all the stuff in the castle, stop and watch the whole show in Dumbledore’s office, listen to the portraits talking. Stop and have something in the Leaky Cauldron.
Then do anything else in IOA that you have time for before heading back to FoP.
You did admit by the end of the VIP tour last time you were fed up with the rides. So what do you actually want to ride again, and what are you just including because you feel you should? Riding something again to find out if it is better than you remember is a waste of time in my world. Move on, accept it was meh and do the stuff you liked or stuff you didn’t try.
OK, I need coffee.
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Will you still post a bunch after your trip? Please? If you run out of WDW topics, I’m sure we can find other things to talk about…ideal indoor thermostat setting…paper vs. plastic…sweaters on dogs… Anything!
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Well, I do still have my 2019 trip to plan.
Though I’m currently beginning to think that my 2018 trip is going to kill me before I even step onto the plane.
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I think you’ll really enjoy this trip more than the last one. And just think, you can buy your own pen that isn’t awkward to use! Or you can buy a pencil…
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I like your latest plan and the addition of Disney After Hours! I’m trying to prune my plans, but DAH is the one thing I would jump to do if it was available during my dates. Seem like a better value and more enjoyable time to me than the holiday parties or dessert parties. And in general, I think your park plans look very reasonable. Most days you just have 3-4 rides listed and a decent amount of time to do them.
I say, stick you what you have. You’ve put so much thought and effort into your plans and I’m sure it will work out brilliantly. Have faith in yourself and all of the great recommendations you’ve received here! And enjoy all of the great meals!
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I think that has been a good decision. It’s from 10pm-1am (good grief!) so it’ll be dark, which means it’s not really a time for sightseeing. I can hit the rides hard — whilst trying to be in the moment and enjoying them of course! Knowing this means that my other times at MK can be more relaxed and focused on sightseeing.
The “problem” with the holiday parties is that you use a block of time for the parade and fireworks. DAH is much more focussed.
Provided the weather is dry, I think it’ll be a very pleasant day for me. Quiet, calm, scenic. I enjoy architecture and I think I’ll enjoy looking at the buildings. It’ll be a real change of pace from the previous few days which are both quite ride-intensive.
I’ve “sacrificed” some in-park MK time, but I’ve (literally) bought it back by booking DAH.
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I am going to have to say that I do like your latest plan. It does not seem to be overloaded ( well no more than what most of us do). I think some of us are in different places. Like @OBNurseNH, I was explaining to a liner the other day why I listen to the Backside of Magic but I never use any of their strategies or “work around arounds “. My trips are more focused with large chunks of other activities and my fun comes from planning and maximizing the system the way it is. Although I love to help others use all tools available- we all have or own style.
If I was to suggest any changes, if anything has to go- that Boma feels like you are pushing it. AKL has a great QS, and you can sit at an outside table and not worry about the time,
In a way UOR is harder to plan because I don’t really know how much standing in line there’s going to be. The crowd levels are predicted to be 7/8 on my two days there, but I have an Express Pass.
UOR is a split for me — the rides are important, more so than at MK, actually. But I want to get more involved in WWOHP. I am going to stay till park close on one of my days, so that should make it easier to get quality time at WWOHP.
I’m currently just tweaking my two MK days, then I’m going to start reviewing the Universal plan.
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With Express Pass I think you have plenty of time to do everything in your Universal days. I do not think the crowds will be an issue .
The reason Boma’s there — apart from the fact it gets good reviews — is because it’s in AKL and I want to see the lobby and the savannah.
My ADR is for 10.45am. I have to be in Africa for check-in for the Wild Africa Trek by 2.15pm. If necessary, I’m willing to sacrifice the EE I’ve scheduled because I will have done EE the previous evening, and I can do it again that night (in the SR line) instead of repeating Dinosaur, or instead of risking getting wet at KRR.
Hmm. Maybe I should switch the EE FPP to after dinner at Tiffins, to ensure a more chilled morning at AKL without wanting to rush to AK to get EE in before WAT.
Good call.
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I didn’t say to drop AKL! I understand visiting the resorts. You have a lot of meals, and ADRs are often my trip focus these days! For 1/3 the time and money you could eat at one of the best QS restaurants at Disney (around 11 I would order the tomato flatbread) and sit at an outside table. You still get the lobby and animals. Boma works too, but make sure you are very hungry for Tiffins!
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There is too much food that day, I admit. The WAT includes food, too.
Hmm.
I have moved EE to the evening now, and I’m going to ditch Dinosaur. EE after Tiffins? Bad idea?